Could We Start Again?
by Chunk127
Summary: Buffy thinks back on big moments of her life and realizes how she wasn't as alone as she thought. My first and likely only song fic.


My only song fic made after reading a certain issue of the comics

Buffy is owned by Joss Whedon. End of Season 8

* * *

Buffy laid down on the bed a shattered mess. How could she have been so stupid? How can Angel have been so stupid? Buffy doesn't want his arm and legs cut off and then have his torso stuck on a pike as Xander suggested for what he did to Renee and the others. She just doesn't want him around anymore either. Angel went catatonic because of all the bad things he chose to do in his own twisted way to 'protect' them. If she ever sees him again she probably will kill him with everyone except Faith giving her a thunderous round of applause. It wasn't Angelus that brought Twilight down on them it was Angel. Angel forced the destruction of Magic and the death of Giles. She grabbed Mr. Gordo and just hugged him close to her.

**_I've been living to see you._**  
**_Dying to see you, but it shouldn't be like this._**  
**_This was unexpected,_**  
**_What do I do now?_**  
**_Could we start again please?_**

Giles turned to Ms. Calendar while loading up a bag of weapons. "Buffy's not gonna face the Master. I am."

"No, you're not."

Giles and Ms. Calendar look over and see Buffy approaching in a rather nice dress.

"So, I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?" Buffy asked

Giles looked her right in the eyes. "Buffy, I'm not gonna send you out there to die. Now, you were right. I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've forgotten what the real world is like. I-it's time I found out."

Buffy nodded. "You're still not going up against the Master."

"I've made up my mind."

"So have I."

Giles shakes his head in fierce denial he is not sending a 16 year old girl to her death. "I made up my mind first! I'm older and wiser than you, and just... just do what you're told for once! Alright?"

"That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer." Buffy pointed out

Giles wasn't listening he saw the incredible person his slayer was and she stopped prophecies before. "I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am going. There's nothing you can say will change my mind."

Buffy smiled inside genuinely touched. "I know."

She pretends to turn to go, but then throws a hard punch to his face, knocking him out. He falls backward to the floor. Ms. Calendar scrambles to his aid. Buffy sees her cross on the table and puts it back on. Ms. Calendar lifts Giles' head in her hands and gets under it with her knees. She looks up at Buffy.

"When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him I said it."

**_I've been very hopeful, so far._**  
**_Now for the first time, I think we're going wrong._**  
**_Hurry up and tell me,_**  
**_This is just a dream._**  
**_Oh could we start again please?_**

Buffy looks down and sees the flames getting higher and nearer to Giles. Angelus takes advantage of the distraction and grabs her legs, lifts her and throws her over the railing. She manages to control her fall and land on her feet near Giles. Angelus takes off down the catwalk and out of the building. Buffy wakes Giles and gets him to his feet, and she supports him as they make their way from the building also. Once outside they both come out coughing from the smoke. He pushes her away from him.

"Why did you come here?! This wasn't your fight!"

Buffy punches him in the jaw, and he spins and falls to the pavement.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

She begins to cry and crouches down to hug him. He cries and hugs her back.

"You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." Buffy pleaded.

_**I think you've made your point now.**_  
_**You've even gone a bit too far to get the message home.**_  
_**Before it gets too frightening,**_  
_**We ought to call a halt,**_  
_**So could we start again please?**_

Quentin stared at the battered and bloody Buffy. "Congratulations, you passed."

Buffy is sitting at the table. Quentin stands calmly at the head as he speaks. Giles leans in the doorway to his office.

"You exhibited extraordinary courage and clear headedness in battle. The Council is very pleased."

"Do I get a gold star?" Buffy asked in a deadpan matter.

Quentin didn't pay it attention. "I understand that you're upset..."

Buffy started to speak with controlled fury. "You understand 'nothing'. You set that monster loose, and he came after my mother."

"You think the test was unfair?" Quentin asked.

"I think you better leave town before I get my strength back." Buffy warned

Quentin looked at her she's a handful. "We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war."

Giles stared at his boss coldly. "You're 'waging' a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference."

Quentin turned to him. "Mr. Giles, if you don't mind..."

"The test is done. We're finished." Giles replied wishing to be rid of his boss.

Quentin shakes his head. "Not quite. She passed. You didn't." He turns to face Giles. "The Slayer is not the only one who must perform in this situation. I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired.

Giles was taken back. He put her through this and saw her off to die at 16. "On what grounds?"

Quentin looked Giles in the eyes. "Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment." Buffy looks at Giles "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause." Giles looks down. "It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."

Buffy breaks her stare, and considers Quentin's words.

Giles turned to Quentin and spoke with hostility clear in his voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

Quentin nods with acceptance. "No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher, or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"

"Oh, we're very clear." Giles replied.

Quentin bows slightly to Buffy. "Congratulations again"

She looks up at him with a stare of hatred. "Bite me."

Quentin chuckled ruefully. "Yes, well, colorful girl" He turns and leaves the library.

Giles looks up again and puts on his glasses. He looks over at Buffy. She gazes down into space for a moment, then sniffs and puts her hand to her forehead. She sniffs again, reaching out for the cloth that's lying on the table next to a bowl of water, and picks it up. Giles walks over to her and puts his hand on the cloth. She lets him take it from her hand. He dips it in the water and kneels down in front of her, reaches out and gently pats it over the gash in her forehead. She winces in pain, but doesn't pull away. She looks up at her Watcher sadly for a moment, and then lowers her eyes. Giles turns the now-bloody cloth over and continues to lightly dab it on her wound.

**_I've been living to see you._**  
**_Dying to see you, but it shouldn't be like this._**  
**_This was unexpected,_**  
**_What do I do now?_**  
**_Could we start again please?_**

"I'm sorry." Buffy said weakly. This was her fault she chose to run from Glory. Buffy is standing beside Giles, holding his hand with both of hers. Giles is conscious but bleeding heavily from the spear wound he got on the trailer.

"For what?" Giles asked wondering what his slayer could have possibly done.

Buffy frowned feeling guilty. "We should have stayed. If we had, none of this would have happened."

"Don't." Giles painfully got out. "What you did... w-was necessary... what I've always admired."

Buffy manages a small smile. "Running away?" She quipped

Giles smiled with what he had left. "Being able to place... your heart... above all else." He breathes shakily while Buffy watches with concern. "I'm so proud of you. You've come so far. You're everything a Watcher... everything I could have hoped for."

Buffy has tears in her eyes. She sniffles. Giles makes a pained face and closes his eyes. Buffy looks anxiously at their entwined hands, then at Giles's stomach. He continues breathing shallowly, seems to have fallen asleep. Buffy gently removes his hand from hers.

**_I think you've made your point now_**  
**_ You've even gone a bit too far to get your message home._**  
**_ Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt._**  
**_ So could we start again please?_**  
**_ So could we start again please?_**  
**_ So could we start again please?_**  
**_ So could we start again please?_**  
**_ So could we start again please?_**

The reality of the situation begins to sink in as Mr. Gordo is hit by water. Tears are coming off Buffy's face as the hard truth sinks in. Giles is gone. Nothing is bringing him back. They grew apart but he was hers. It wasn't Riley, Angel or even Spike it was Giles. He was the one that supported her the most when she needed him. And now he's gone and Buffy has to learn to live without him. Buffy finally cries not being so upset since her 17th birthday or when her mom died. Dawn came into the room hearing her sister finally break down per Buffy style she was holding it in for so long. Dawn was thankful to Xander for getting her through the past couple days and she'll do the same for Buffy. Dawn wraps her arms around Buffy's waist as Buffy continues to cry for the man she loved. Rupert Giles, her father.

_**Could we start again?**_

_****_Author's note

Could we start again is from Jesus Christ Superstar


End file.
